Birds of Prey
by MidnaVocaloid02
Summary: The Doctor and Rose are on another trip to modern, 2012, day London, England. The Doctor arrives to see if he can find a clue to an old friend of his. Instead, the pair run into another alien life form. This one comes from a planet that's at war with itself and a few refugees ran to Earth for safety. Now something has come back to try and hunt them down. What will happen next?
1. Chapter 1: The Hunter

Doctor Who: Birds of Prey

Part 1: The Hunter Returns

"Come on Brit!" A boy joked.

"Hey! Watch what you're calling my sister, Cameron!" Another boy grumbled.

"Oh, calm down, Bryce!" Cameron laughed.

The group of kids laughed and ran off towards an abandoned lot. The boys started to tease the girls. Everything was fun and crazy. Everything was normal. That was until a screech sounded nearby. The children all jumped in terror as a dark shadow loomed over them.

"The Hunter is back…" It said in a husky voice. The children scattered off as the shadow dove towards them.

"The Hunter is just an old story, Alison." A girl said nonchalantly as she sat back in chair, crossing her arms. She has on a pair of slacks and a yellow school vest, similar to her friend.

"But if he's back…" Alison sighed. She brushed back a few strands of dark red hair. "We have to be careful, Catherine."

"I won't let it hurt anyone." Catherine said.

Before they could continue, there was a strange humming noise. The girls looked around the noisy plaza, full of people who were either eating or shopping. They saw something flickering in the sky. Catherine stood up and ran towards an alley. As Alison tried to see where Catherine was in the alley, she was gone.

"Could you have made that a little bumpier?" An English girl whined.

"Sorry about that." A man said.

The pair looked around the green area. The man made sure his blue police box was unharmed then ran inside it. The girl rolled her eyes and looked around. She was trying to figure out where they could be.

"I think we're in London." She said. "What year though?"

"Very near!" The man answered as he returned to her side. "London 2012."

"So we're here to see the Olympics again?" She shrugged.

"Maybe." He shrugged. "Let's find an old friend first then we'll see what we can do about that."

As the strange pair started to talk about random things, a small bird fluttered around in the nearby trees. It turned its little head in several directions. It then fluttered down to them.

"Aw!" The girl cooed. "Look at him. He's so cute!"

"A little strange maybe." The man said as he examined the sparrow flying around them. The small bird landed on the man's shoulder. He dug a hand into his trench coat and stared at it. The bird looked back at him with a curious eye.

"He must really like you, Doctor." The girl snickered.

"Well I attract everyone and everything apparently." He joked. He placed a few fingers near the bird's feet. It reluctantly moved to his fingers and looked confused as it was being lifted into the air.

"Now what do we have here?" He said, taking out a strange bulky pen from his suit pocket. The pen hovered over the sparrow, which was looking at it curiously. A second before the man could do whatever it was he was going to do, the sparrow dashed towards the girl's shoulder and tried to hide under the jacket's hood.

"Look at what you did!" The girl scolded.

"I didn't do anything!" The man said with his arms raised and looking at the bird confused.

There was a bird cawing above. The man looked up to see a hawk searching for something. The sparrow cowered in fear on the girl's shoulder then fluttered off once the hawk passed. The man looked back at the sparrow to see it gone.

"Interesting…" He said and started to walk off.

"Alison?" Catherine asked as she ran out of the alleyway. She looked around the square with wide emerald eyes. Her friend was gone. She prayed that the worst didn't happen and started to look around.

Several minutes went by and she still found nothing. No signs of where her friend ran off to. She turned to look around the square again but instead found a strange pair from before. She tied her long brown hair back and continued her search.

"Do you need help?" The girl asked.

"No I'm fine." Catherine said.

"Claire?" The man asked, grabbing Catherine's shoulders. She pushed him back and gave him a look of disgust.

"Leave me be." She said.

"Who are you then?" The girl asked. "I'm Rose."

"And I'm the Doctor." The strange man introduced.

"All right." Catherine said, not caring to return the same niceness, and started towards another part of the square.

"Come on!" Rose persisted. "Let us help you. We may be able to find whatever it is you're looking for." Catherine looked between the strange pair.

"No offense but a doctor and his nurse can't help me find my friend." She said bluntly.

"Cat!" Someone called out. Catherine turned to see a pair of boys in school uniforms running towards her.

"Cat!" The other said, leaning over trying to catch his breath. "Alison's back home."

"She could have told me before she left." Catherine grumbled.

"She said you were…" The boy glimpsed at the pair next to her. "_ibusy/i_."

"Yeah, trying to find her." She retorted. She turned and looked at Rose. "Thanks but I'm all right now. My friend was being difficult by hiding out at home."

"All right." Rose said, staring at the Doctor.

"You know everyone around here, yeah?" The Doctor asked.

"Just about." Catherine shrugged. "Whaddya need?"

"Do you know anyone by the name of Claire?" He said. "Brown hair, kind of the same color as yours, and is… well…" The Doctor paused as he tried to think of something.

"Kind of spacey?" Rose asked.

"I wouldn't say spacey, more like… different?" He shrugged.

"Don't know anyone by the name." Catherine said plainly. The Doctor raised an eyebrow and the boys behind her closed their mouths as she turned away from the couple. Catherine ran off somewhere, leaving the boys where they were.

"Sorry about Cat." One of them said. "She's been like that for a while now."

"Not that it's bad but she needs a break." The other said.

"What're your names?" Rose asked.

"I'm Bryce and this is Cameron." The second boy said.

"I'm Rose and he's the Doctor." Rose said. "Are you two brothers?"

"A lot of people seem to think so." Cameron joked.

"If you're looking for the Claire you're talking about, Doc," Bryce started, "try somewhere that's open. She loves to be around large spaces."

"A bit weird but that's probably who you're looking for." Cameron nodded. "She's nicer to us than the other kids at least."

"Where was your friend going?" Rose asked.

"Well, there's been a series of kidnappings lately." Bryce said.

"And Cat's been real touchy about it." Cameron added.

"She's just making sure we're all safe is all." Bryce smiled. "If you want to talk to her, you can follow us."

"That is if they can keep up." Cameron laughed as he raced off on his skateboard. Bryce followed after him, leaving Rose and the Doctor behind.

The boys were racing down the backstreets of London, dodging people and doing tricks as they went. They looked back and saw a faint image of the couple. Cameron laughed and slowed down a little. As they turned a corner, a motorcycle passed them. Both the boys stared at it with a confused look.

"So he _idoes/i_ know who he's dealing with, eh?" Cameron laughed. He looked at Bryce and they both sped towards him. A few minutes later they were all going at the same speed. Rose looked at the boys confused and her jaw dropped as they transformed into a pair of birds.

"Oh, that's cheating boys!" The Doctor howled. "Didn't your mothers teach you to be fair?" The Doctor used his bulky pen on the bike and sped after the boys.

"Doctor?" Rose stammered. "What are they?"

"Shapeshifters." The Doctor answered. "Completely harmless unless you provoke them. Then I suggest you hide somewhere they might not find you and completely forget about everything else that matters to you."

"Shapeshifters?" Rose said. "They're real? I thought they were just fairytales!"

"I'm sure they'll get a kick out of that if you tell them that." The Doctor laughed.

The Doctor watched the birds carefully as they flew ahead of them. He watched as they fluttered here and there, banking as they turned and then shooting off in a certain direction. A few more seconds and the Doctor had an idea as to where they might be leading them. He sped past the next turn the boys took and made his own detour with a few back roads. The boys stared at him in wonder as they watched him ride off in the other direction.

"What's he up to?" Cameron asked.

"I think we might have to go to plan B." Bryce said.

The boys nodded at one another and shifted into another form. This one was a mix of a cheetah and some foreign life form. They sped past the streets of confused people. As they sped towards an abandoned lot, Cameron looked over to see the Doctor gaining on them.

"Hold on, Rose!" The Doctor hollered as he finished tinkering with his bike.

Rose held on to the Doctor as tightly as she could as they rocketed past the boys. Cameron and Bryce gawked at the Doctor. Cameron grinned as his legs glimmered in a strange light. Bryce shook his head as Cameron started going head to head about who would win.

"Uh, Doctor?" Rose asked, trying to not get blasted by the furious wind.

"Yeah?" He hollered.

"How are we going to stop?" She asked.

"Well that's easy!" The Doctor grinned. A second later he wondered if he remembered to put breaks on the bike at all.

Cameron howled and both he and Bryce shifted into a pair of breaks that just so magically fit the motorcycle. The Doctor took out his little bulky pen again and tried to slow down the speed on the bike. Cameron barked again and a moment later a pair of wings descended towards them.

"Leave it be!" Cameron hollered. "Just go with Alison and Brittany!"

Rose looked up to see two girls with rather large bird wings. Her jaw dropped, trying to comprehend what was going on. The Doctor raised her arm towards the girls and let them take her into the air. He grabbed the other one's hand and watched as both the boys disappeared and the bike crashed into the wall of the abandoned lot.

"Lucky call there, Cameron." The Doctor said as the girls put them back onto the ground. Cameron and Bryce reappeared, both looking like themselves once more. Cameron scratched his brown shaggy hair and shrugged. Bryce cleaned off the dust from his uniform.

"No problem." Cameron said. "Just glad someone knows how to play with a Shifter is all."

"Because a lot of Earthlings like to hang out with us." Bryce sighed.

"Well, he ain't an Earthling, is he?" Cameron shot back.

"Calm down, guys." One of the girls said.

"And you are?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm Alison and this is Bryce's sister, Brittany." Alison said.

The Doctor looked at the group of misfits. They all had on school uniforms and looked like they'd hang around other areas of town other than the lot they were at. Each of them did share a similarity, whether it was noticeable or not. He was about to ask something as Catherine came out of nowhere.

"Done racing around town and scaring people?" She frowned.

"Calm down, Cat." Alison smiled. "They were only having a little fun."

"It's things like that that get us in trouble!" She retorted. "Do you wanna be like Allen?" The group was silent. "Never mind about that then." She shrugged.

"So about these kidnappings." The Doctor started.

"They're happening around this side of town." Cameron said. "Like I said before, it just started around a month ago."

"Why are you telling him about that?" Catherine groaned. "I told you I can handle it!"

"We need all the help we can get!" Cameron argued back. "Besides, this is what she would have done!"

"Don't' speak about her. She's nothing but a…" Catherine stopped as a rush of wind passed by the group; making the kids cringe with unease. Catherine looked back to see where it came from.

"RUN!" She hollered. The Shapeshifters disappeared in a heartbeat. Where they went to or what they took their form as was unknown. Rose grabbed the Doctor's arm as the blacked figure on the roof above them fanned out its wings. Catherine came back and snatched them away from the area.

"What was that all about, hmm?" The Doctor asked. "And another thing, why are there Shapeshifters here?"

"Stop bein' so stubborn, Cat." Cameron sighed. "Best to tell them; maybe he can help us." Catherine gave Cameron a disappointed look before looking at Rose and the Doctor.

"It started a month ago." Catherine said. "It came around trying to kidnap us for some reason. It took Allen and as far as we know, it'll take us too."

"But what is a hunter?" Rose asked.

"Not _ia hunter/i_, _iThe Hunter/i_." The Doctor corrected.

"In our society, as Shapeshifters, The Hunter is a mighty foe to the Bird of Prey." Catherine explained. "The Bird of Prey is considered to be a paragon of all we aspire to be."

"And The Hunter you saw before is chasing us around." Cameron added. "Has been for years. We crash landed on Earth and figured it'd leave us alone."

"It chased you all the way out here?" The Doctor asked. "But Tartarus," he paused and looked at Rose, "the Shapeshifter home world, is several thousand light years away from Earth. It'd take at least 20 or so years to get here!"

"A Bird of Prey came with us." Alison said. "She's considered to be the paragon of technology."

"Wait, there's more than one paragon?" Rose asked.

"Just like all the countries and leaders here." Catherine said. "Every paragon has a special skill from their home land on Tartarus."

"Each is more unique than the last too." Cameron added. "Without them, our society wouldn't be so successful."

"Depends on your version of events." Catherine muttered. "Anyway, this Bird of Prey was the brightest mind on our planet and race. Now she's dead and we have to deal with that thing." The group of kids looked at Catherine and shook their heads.

"A _idead/i_ Bird of Prey?" The Doctor muttered. "It's not unheard of but it is rare to hear about it."

"What's so special about them?" Rose asked. "Besides being an idol and all."

"Well, as I remember, Birds of Prey are given the secrets of everything related to Tartarus. From life forms to current technology; nothing is limited for them." The Doctor said. "I also heard that they're given a few extra perks. Such as powerful life support accessories," He looked over at Catherine, "or having the technology to warp through space for an unexplained reason."

"There's a reason but we don't know how she did it." Catherine said. "She said that it didn't matter and she was right. At the time it didn't matter and still doesn't. As long as we're here though…"

"Doctor?" Rose asked. "Think we can help them?"

"I don't see why not." The Doctor grinned. "Just point us in the right direction."

"You can go investigate if you want." Catherine said. "I'm going to make sure my friends stay alive."

"Shapeshifters on Earth and the one who brought them here is a Bird of Prey?" The Doctor murmured.

"So if a Bird of Prey or whatever is so famous how can they let them die or leave their planet?" Rose asked.

"Because they're given an unlimited amount of resources to do whatever they want." The Doctor said. "And with current events, this is the year 2012 here, so on Tartarus, there's a war going on. This lets the Birds of Prey leave and go find useful materials with whatever they need."

"A war?" Rose asked. "With who?"

"Itself." A voice said. The Doctor and Rose jumped.

"Long time no see!" The figure grinned. She looked at the Doctor and Rose.

"Rose!" She said and ran over to hug her. "It's been so long!"

"Uh… yeah it has?" Rose said, very confused. The short haired girl pulled away from her with an eyebrow raised.

"You don't really remember me, do you?" She said. Rose shrugged, feeling bad. The girl looked at the Doctor, who was giving her a concerned look.

"You both don't remember me… nice." She muttered. The girl walked around the shrubbery near the Sahpeshifter hideout and started murmuring about something.

"Who is she, Doctor?" Rose whispered.

"Not too sure." He mused, trying to figure out who the woman was.

"Oh? So there _iis/i_ one thing the Doctor knows that I don't? That's new." The woman snickered.

"Are you that Hunter?" Rose asked.

"The Hunters can't speak." The woman laughed. "And if I was, you'd be kind of dead."

"So another Shapeshifter?" The Doctor asked.

"Maybe." The woman shrugged. She held out a hand and let it mold into a new phone model.

"How did you get here?" He asked. "Did you travel with them?"

"You've even forgotten that?" The woman said. She looked at the Doctor's confused face and shrugged. "I did come here with them. Ship crash landed near some remote location around here."

"You're the Bird of Prey they came with?" Rose asked.

"Last I checked." She nodded. "No doubt one of them said I was dead? We see how true that is."

The woman watched as the Doctor's face contorted. She smiled at the funny looks he was giving off. She shrugged and looked at Rose again.

"And I've been tracking The Hunter since we crashed." She said. "I dunno why it showed up out of the blue like this but there you have it." The woman paused. "But I do know why it's chasing them." She paused again. "It's because they're half-breeds."

"Of course." The Doctor said, giving up on his earlier problem. "Half-bloods are hated on Tartarus."

"Why?" Rose asked.

"Because they're not pure-blooded." The woman said.

"That's terrible!" Rose frowned.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later and I was going for later." The woman said. "But that doesn't matter now." She shook her head. "Doctor? Can you help out my crew? They need more help than I can give them."

"Of course, on one condition." The Doctor said.

"Sorry, Doc, but you'll have to play the guessing game first." She laughed.

The Doctor scrunched his face again. The woman put her hand near her mouth, thinking of something that would help him remember. She grinned and shifted into another person. She had long silver hair that was tied up, yellow eyes, and sharp teeth. She had a dark blue scarf that was torn up at the ends and under it a black sleeveless shirt with a pair of black pants and boots. A black skirt with silver embroidery covered her legs, but not enough to completely cover her right leg. A bandaged sword sat on the back of her large belt. A few moments later, the Doctor's face brightened up and jumped like a little kid getting a Christmas present.

"Claire!" He cheered.

"Claire?" Rose echoed.

"Took you long enough." She smiled, transforming back into the short brown haired girl. She walked over to the Doctor and hugged him. Her emerald eyes widened in surprise and she gave Rose a look. Rose nodded back and Claire nodded at her in approval. They pulled away and Claire hugged Rose.

"You did good catching this one, Rose." Claire joked.

"Well thank you!" Rose laughed. They pulled away and saw the Doctor giving them a weird look. The girls looked at one another and started to laugh. Claire walked past him, patting his shoulder, and then towards the shrubbery she came from.

"Claire!" Rose called out. "Will we see you again?"

"But of course! Wherever the wind and sky meet, I'll be there." Claire smiled as she shifted into a hawk and started to fly away.

"Oh, this is going to be _ivery/i_ interesting!" The Doctor laughed as he and Rose ran back to the others.


	2. Chapter 2: Sister of the same flock

Doctor Who: Birds of Prey

Part 2: Sisters of the same flock

"So we'll surround it like this." Catherine murmured as she sketched something out. Alison and Brittany watched as Catherine scribbled some random things down. They helped her out from time to time but the brunette was too preoccupied in her own thoughts to notice anything.

"So you've been hiding things from us?" The Doctor asked as he barged into the room. Rose scampered in behind him.

"Hiding what?" Catherine asked, not looking away from her notes.

"Well we found your Hunter and she's nothing from what you mentioned." The Doctor said. "On the contrary, she says that you lot are her crew and that she's also hunting The Hunter."

"She's nothing but a fake!" Catherine snapped. "That traitor you talked to is nothing but a hypocrite."

"Pretty big accusation." The Doctor observed. "Now why would you say you're superior officer is that?"

"Cat, calm down!" Brittany and Alison said. Catherine swiped them away and glared at The Doctor before storming off. Cameron and Bryce came out of nowhere.

"She's just mad at the Bird of Prey you met." Cameron said. "Honestly, we don't even understand why she's mad. Claire saved us from dying."

"Yeah." Bryce nodded. "If it weren't for her, then we wouldn't be here." Bryce and Cameron looked at one another and then to the girls.

"Actually, I have an idea about why Cat's mad at Claire." Alison said. "But I'm not sure if it's all right to assume it or not. They've both been through so much."

"What do you?" Rose asked.

"W-"

"Drop the subject." Catherine spat.

"Hey, what's with the bird?" Bryce asked.

Catherine looked back to see a hawk on the table. Its head swerved in almost every direction, trying to find something. It unfolded its wings and fluttered around the small area. Everyone ducked and watched it land near the door.

"Come on, Claire." The Doctor laughed. "I think you've had enough fun."

The hawk looked up at him with its curious emerald eyes. As it stared The Doctor down, it shrugged its wings. A second later it took a human form. Catherine balled her fists as she looked at Claire in disgust. Claire had a finger to her mouth, telling them to be quiet. She carefully snuck around the house until she found her way upstairs.

She carefully moved towards a dark hallway. She looked carefully, trying to find something. Rose tugged on The Doctor's sleeve. He leaned over towards her.

"What's she doing?" She whispered.

"I'm not too sure myself." He admitted.

The Shapeshifters all wondered the same thing as they watched Claire. Claire had a handout, her palm was stretched open. The Doctor and Rose watched as both Cameron and Bryce grab Alison and Brittany, who were looking at them in confusion. Claire then started to count down from five. Both the boys ran past The Doctor and Rose, leaving Catherine behind. She looked upstairs to see a dark figure battling Claire.

"Get out!" Claire called out and sent the monster flying down the hallway. She jumped down the stairs and transfigured her arm into a modern day machine gun.

"Not what I wanted but it'll do." Claire muttered. She looked at the confused trio next to her. "Cat! Grab them and run!"

"But she'll get hurt!" Rose said.

"That doesn't matter!" Claire said, looking at them again. "If you don't leave now, you won't be able to help them. And I'll be fine. I'm a Bird of Prey. I'll be able to fend this beast off for a while."

Catherine grabbed both The Doctor and Rose and flew off into the sky. Claire watched as Catherine's wings faltered a little. She took a deep breath and looked back at The Hunter. The creature stood at the top of the stairs with a bloodthirsty look. Claire put a finger in her ear and watched as the machine gun tore up the area in front of her.

The Hunter roared in pain and lunged at her. She ducked out of the way and a pair of wings appeared on her back. She jumped towards the ceiling and flew through it without breaking it. She shot out towards the roof and looked back to see The Hunter rampaging towards her. With a burst of energy, she tried to get out of its way.

A strong hand grabbed her foot. Claire kicked The Hunter's face with her other foot. She groaned and tried to keep her pace.

"I wish I still had those damned rings." She muttered.

The Hunter roared again as it chased Claire. This time it used its strength to try and subdue her. Claire had trouble trying to stay in the air as she was trying to dodge the attacks. The Hunter gave her sucker punch that sent her a flying into an empty house. She groaned, trying to stand up but fell back down on whatever soft material she was laying on.

"What was that thing?" Rose asked as they landed near an empty street.

"That was The Hunter." Catherine said.

"Looks like you owe Claire an apology." The Doctor said, putting his hands in his coat.

"As if." Catherine scoffed. "I don't owe her a thing."

"Uh-oh…" Rose sighed. Catherine raised an eyebrow at her and looked at The Doctor's displeased look.

"Oh, grow up." Catherine shook her head. "I'm not going to apologize to her just so you can get your way".

Catherine turned on her heel and started to walk off. The Doctor rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"Are you all right?" Rose asked.

"Of course." He said. "Just a little amazed that they managed to adapt to humanity's arrogance real quick." He ran after Catherine and stood in front of her.

"Listen, old man," Catherine started, "if you threaten me, that Hunter will be the least of your worries. Cameron and Bryce will make sure you won't hear the end of it."

"Oh? And where are your knights in shining armor?" The Doctor asked. Catherine was silent. She gave The Doctor a dirty look and walked around him.

"I have a question, Catherine." Rose asked. Catherine stopped and looked over at Rose. "Why is it you hate Claire? What did she do?" Catherine looked up at the sky and nodded towards an empty house.

"Let's find somewhere to hide for a bit." Catherine said. "And we're not near your part of town, Rose. It's safe here anyways."

"Until your friend decides to show up." The Doctor said. Rose elbowed him and he made a dramatic yelp. "That hurt!" He joked. Both Rose and Catherine were on their way towards the house. He shrugged and followed them.

As they entered the house, Catherine went straight for the kitchen. She looked around for something to eat as Rose and The Doctor looked around the sketchy place. Catherine gave up after a while and joined them.

"So what now?" Rose asked.

"We wait for something to happen." Catherine said.

"So where's all your anger going to go now that The Hunter and Claire are two different people?" The Doctor asked.

"Maybe you for being annoying." Catherine frowned. "I dunno."

"Can you tell us why you hate her so much?" Rose asked.

"She betrayed us by saying she was a pure-blood." Catherine said and she looked at Rose's confused face. "On Tartarus, there's a war about who the dominate blood type will be. Pure-bloods are seen as scum but they're the wealthiest people there. So they have more power. Most of the Birds of Prey are pure-blood."

"But not all?" Rose asked.

"No. But if they're found out, they're usually forced to give up their title." Catherine explained.

"And do they?" Rose said.

"If you were to be taken away from The Doctor, do you think he'd just sit and watch?" Catherine asked. "The Birds of Prey are a tight knit group. They appreciate each other's presence and are friendly with one another."

"So mess with them shame on you?" Rose asked.

"Basically." Catherine shrugged.

"So you're mad at Claire for unwillingly turning into a half-blood?" The Doctor asked.

"She lied to us saying she was a pure-blood." Catherine snapped. "Pure-bloods helping out half-bloods does a lot for their cause. And it makes the pure-bloods look weak too."

"Why would she lie?" The Doctor asked. "She has no reason to lie to anyone. No paragon like herself has to."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"Tartarus' paragons are the elite of the elite. They know everything that goes on on their planet and even in their star system." The Doctor explained.

"Or did." Catherine sighed. "Anyways, make yourselves at home; we're going to be here for a while."

"Here?" Rose squeaked. "In this abandoned home? What if there are rats or something contagious or something? What if there's something wanting to kill us?"

"You kidding?" Catherine scoffed. "No one comes into these abandoned places anymore. Well except for hobos. We're safe. No one comes into a house that's taken."

"You know you're way around." The Doctor said.

"I should after 20 years of running around here." Catherine said.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"That's a bit rude, ain't it?" Catherine said.

She left the room they were in and made for the kitchen. The Doctor looked over to see what Catherine was up to. He turned on his heel and pointed at Rose.

"Yeah I know, don't wander off." She sighed. "You got it to an art now."

"Just making sure." He smiled and ran off after Catherine. Rose looked around the room and shrugged.

"Well, no one's here to stop me." She said and started to look around the house.

As Rose looked around, everything kind of looked the same. Nothing was different or out of place. She continued her search and found a staircase. She looked around carefully and quickly made her way upstairs.

"I wonder what's up here…" She murmured as she made her way up.

There were a few empty rooms with mounds of dust on the floor to whatever else it could touch. She looked around one of the empty rooms. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, well except the strange hole in the ceiling. Rose looked up and then around the room.

"What could have done that…?" She asked as she looked around. Her heart stopped when she noticed an unconscious girl.

"So you have no idea what The Hunter is?" The Doctor asked.

"For the 20th time," Catherine groaned, "NO!"

Catherine shot the curious man a dirty look. She growled as he gave her a clueless look. He shrugged and looked around. Catherine continued to scavenge through the cabinets. There was a rush of footsteps as Rose ran down the stairs and ran towards them.

"Doctor!" Rose said, panting. "I think I found Claire."

Rose led the pair up the stairs and towards the room she found. Rose ran towards the bed and waited for the others to arrive. Catherine ran in and looked at Claire with scared green eyes. The Doctor jumped in and ran towards Rose.

"What's wrong with her?" Rose asked.

"Her bracelet." Catherine said. The pair looked at her.

"Her what?" He asked.

"Her life support thing is her bracelet. Right hand." Catherine said.

The Doctor grabbed Claire's hand and pushed up her sleeve. There was a broken jeweled bracelet. It was a single translucent band with an emerald in the middle. The jewel had several cracks in it; looking as if it were about to shatter.

"Looks like she hasn't been keeping it in good shape lately." The Doctor said.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"Shapeshifters, like Claire, are given special bracelets like this to take care of." He said. "Must have been that Hunter." He took something out of his coat pocket and hovered it over Claire's bracelet.

"There we go." He said with a smile on his face. "Good as new. She should be up soonish."

"Soonish?" Rose laughed.

Catherine looked at Claire one last time and ran back downstairs. The Doctor looked back as he heard Catherine leave. He looked over at Rose and nodded over at her.

"Why not go figure her out?" He asked.

"Sure but what about you?" She asked. "Looking after her?"

"Well someone has to and Catherine hates me." The Doctor shrugged.

"Right and she loves me?" Rose laughed.

Rose ran downstairs and left the Doctor alone. He looked at Claire and then up to the ceiling. His eyes flickered to and fro, curiosity teaming in both of his dark brown eyes. He rubbed his face and looked at Claire.

"So why do you hate her?" Rose asked.

"She betrayed me and my friends." Catherine said.

"Can't you forgive her or something?" Rose said. "She can't have done anything that bad."

"She betrayed what we stood for; what she stood for." Catherine said.

"And that is…?" Rose asked. Catherine was quiet for a moment. "Right and you don't even know." Rose sighed. "Can you at least just tell me why you hate her?"

"Just… She's…"Catherine was trying to figure out what to say. Then she froze and looked around.

The electric humming of The Doctor's screwdriver echoed through the room. His manic murmurs weren't far behind. Murmuring and muttering about something to do with some strange object or interesting fact. Behind him, Claire started to move. She sat up and slowly started to wake up. She looked over to the familiar madman next to her and smiled.

"Find something interesting?" She asked. His head shot up and a smile stretched across his face.

"You're awake!" He grinned.

"Until the next idiot wants to knock me out." Claire laughed. She looked around the room and then up at the ceiling. "I guess I've made better entrances than a hole in the ceiling."

"Nothing says you're here better than that." The Doctor said, going back to whatever it was he was doing.

"Hey Doc?" Claire asked.

"What have I told you about that?" He groaned.

"Nothing really but I do have one question." She looked over at him. "When do I get my hand back?"

"When I'm done looking at that bracelet." He said. Claire snatched her hand away from him and shook her head.

"For shame. I thought you knew better than to steal away a girl's…" Claire started to trail off.

She looked up at the sky and examined it carefully. She put a finger to her lips as she grabbed The Doctor's wrist and fell through the floor and into the kitchen below. She ran over to Catherine and Rose and covered their mouths.

"When I say now, we split up and regroup with the others." She whispered.

Rose shook her head and Catherine didn't move. Claire backed away from the room they were in and quietly went into the kitchen. She grabbed a ladle and then looked towards the ceiling. The Doctor watched with curiosity as the metal in Claire's hand started to glow red. Claire then bent it in half like a boomerang and gulped.

"Is it all right if I ask what you're about to do?" The Doctor asked.

"Do me a favor and shut up please?" Claire said. She looked at Catherine and nodded. "NOW!" Claire threw the ladle into the air and watched it smack something in the face. The Hunter groaned in pain and roared at her.

"Oh no you don't!" Claire said. She ran over to The Doctor and shifted her arm into a huge medieval shield. The monster beat the shield as it tried to get her. Claire looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Catherine running off with Rose. She pushed back the beast and looked at The Doctor.

"I know you're not going to like this but you're gonna have to deal with it." Claire said. A pair of wings appeared on her back and The Doctor looked around confused. "Best hold on tight and you might not want to look down."

"What are you talking about?" The Doctor asked as Claire grabbed his hand. With a great push of her wings they jumped into the air. Claire's wings continued to beat the air, making them rise higher and higher.

"Hold on, Doctor!" Claire shouted as they started to rise into the sky and started to bank towards the heart of London.


	3. Chapter 3: The Truth

Doctor Who: Birds of Prey

Part 3: The Truth

"Can we touch the ground?!" The Doctor hollered; flailing his lanky legs.

"I told you to not look down!" Claire sighed; trying to keep them in the air. "And what do you do?"

"We're several stories above the ground!" He complained. "What do you think I would do?"

"Well, not look down for one..." Claire muttered as they landed in an empty parking lot. Her wings disappeared and she started to stretch her arms and legs. "I just don't think you like me."

"Now why would I say that to a Shapeshifter?" The Doctor sighed. He looked around. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere in London." Claire said.

"What about Rose?" He asked.

"She'll be fine." She grinned. "Catherine won't let anything happen to her. I promise." The Doctor looked over at Claire and held her gaze.

"Rose will be safe, if not," She paused, "if she's not then I'll be a dog the next time you see me." The Doctor nodded after a few seconds and then started to walk off somewhere.

"Dog's a little much, hmm?" He scoffed; putting his hands in his trench coat. "So, what's with you and your family coming here?"

"Only if you're ready for a long story." Claire smiled.

"Give me your best shot." He laughed.

"It all started 50 years ago." Claire said. "Our ship crash landed on Earth and since then those Hunters have been trying to get them."

"So there's more than one?" He asked.

"There always was more than one." She said. "The Hunters, in this case, are a reflection of my crew; me, my sister, and all her friends."

"Ah, that makes absolutely no sense." The Doctor said with a smile.

"Like so many things in the world." Claire muttered.

"Why haven't you found a way to go back?" He asked.

"Because nothing was salvageable from our ship's wreck." She said. "And the English used whatever they could to repair what damage the Germans did to them. Can you believe that they didn't even care that what they were using was a ship from outer space? Talk about being thick."

"What if they really needed those supplies?" He asked.

"There was a lot of damage from their war." She said. "As gruesome as it was. I can't seem to get over how close this planet is to becoming like the Shifters. As long as they never use biological warfare, they should be all right." Claire looked around as they entered a crowded area.

"Want to get something to eat?" She asked as the passed by a few vendor stands.

"Are you all right?" Catherine asked.

"A little bumpy." Rose groaned. "But still a better navigator than The Doctor."

"Not as good as Claire though." Catherine said. "I'm still young."

"And how old is that?" Rose asked. "By Shapeshifter years I mean."

"Well…" Catherine looked around. "I'm technically a teenager in my world… so around 200 years old maybe?"

"Then… what?" Rose jumped.

"This is why I don't like telling people how old I am." Catherine sighed. "I like to let people believe I'm 18 or 19."

"All righty then…" Rose said, still trying to figure it all out.

She looked around as Catherine ran off towards a building. She transformed into a bird, the one Rose and The Doctor saw earlier, and fluttered off. A few seconds later, Catherine came back and looked displeased.

"I couldn't find them. They must be in another part of town." Catherine said. "For now, we can go and find the others."

"So, what were you about to say when that thing appeared?" Rose asked as they started to walk around. Catherine looked at Rose and then at the ground.

"I was going to say that Claire is my sister." Catherine said.

"Why are you ashamed of that?" Rose asked. "Claire's nice and The Doctor knows her and doesn't have a grudge or anything against her."

"So you're going by what that Time Lord says?" Catherine scoffed.

"The Doctor is a good man, just like Claire." Rose said. "Besides, I remember bumping into her a few times before I went time traveling across the galaxy."

"And what was she like?" Catherine asked.

"Oh come on, you don't even know what your own sister is like?" Rose snickered. She looked over to Catherine and cleared her throat. "Right well when I saw her, she helped me out as best she could. She even helped me get a job too." Catherine was silent as they continued their search.

"So let me get this straight, she only hates you because you're a half-breed instead of a pure-blood?" The Doctor said, scratching his head.

"Yeah." Claire shrugged. "As Earthlings say: Shit happens. Besides, as long as she cares, I'm just another enemy. Well one that's been protecting her and her friends."

"You two are something." He groaned.

"Oh, come on." Claire shook her head. "She's only a teenager and, as I recall, they're ALL rebellious. She'll figure out why I did what I did sooner or later anyways."

"You're really using that excuse?" He said.

"And you're saying you've never been a teenager?" Claire retorted. "Oh! And thank you for repairing my bracelet. Those damned beasts just love trying to kill me over and over again."

"About that, how many are left?" He asked.

"Just the one." She answered. "And it's also the strongest out of them all too."

"Lucky us." The Doctor groaned.

"Oh, calm down." Claire said. "I've disposed of the others. Just a matter of time this one joins them."

"And how have you done that exactly?" He asked.

"Using a preemptive strike of course." She shrugged. "Lure them into a disclosed location and basically ambush them. It's better to do that on one instead of a group of them for a future reference. They get smart in groups."

"So what are they?" He asked. "The Hunters. Are they another species?"

"Funny you mention that." Claire said. "Before I left Tartarus, me and the other paragons were researching that. We haven't gotten far but somehow they are linked to the Shifters."

"A whole new race?" The Doctor asked with admiration.

"Or an old one bent on destruction." Claire said.

"So they've been chasing you for years?" Rose asked.

"And every time one of them shows up, Claire's there too." Catherine added.

"Maybe she's trying to protect you and your friends?" Rose offered.

"Maybe but it's suspicious to see them in the same place." Catherine shrugged.

As they walked along the streets of London, a group of kids ran towards them. They were all happy and exhausted. Bryce and Cameron were trying to hold themselves up by putting their hands on their knees. Alison and Brittany were right behind them.

"We finally found you guys!" Bryce exclaimed.

"Where were you guys?" Catherine frowned.

"Trying to find you." Alison said. She looked at Rose and Catherine. "Where's Claire and The Doctor? Are they all right?"

"We got separated." Catherine said. "They're probably not too shaken up either."

"How do you know they're all right?" Rose asked.

"Because Claire is a paragon, nothing will hurt her, and The Doctor is a Time Lord." Cameron said.

"How do you know that?" Rose asked.

"Do you know anyone else that can manipulate time?" Cameron jeered. " 'Sides, that screwdriver of his is one of the major giveaways."

"Anyways," Bryce started, looking over to Cameron, "let's go and find them."

With reluctance, Catherine finally admitted to go help the others search for Claire and The Doctor. She wondered if Claire was all right and cursed The Doctor if he let anything happen to her.

The afternoon breeze swept over them like a blanket; covering them in a slightly warm embrace. Both Claire and The Doctor had found a place to rest from searching for the others. Claire subconsciously took out a necklace and started to rub the smooth surface of the jewel it held. The Doctor looked over at the strange jewel in her hand.

"Want to use it to get their attention?" He asked.

"It'd a double-edged sword." She said. "We find them and so does that Hunter."

"So how many of them were there?" He asked.

"As many as my crew, including Allen; so around seven." Claire nodded. "But during the last fight, Allen got hurt and I couldn't help him. It was right before you arrived too."

"I'm sorry." He frowned.

"It's all right." Claire said. "You're not getting the shit end of the stick for it. Catherine's hated me for it but I warned him several times to leave and he tries to be a hero…" She looked at the crowd of people squirming past one another. "You know, this is kind of your fault too."

"How so? You just said it wasn't my fault." The Doctor asked; feeling slightly offended.

"If the TARDIS didn't crash into my ship, none of this would be happening." Claire said.

"Mind explaining?" He asked.

"Well… it starts with the war on Tartarus." Claire started. "I was trying to escape with Catherine and the others to a safe galaxy, one that the Shifters didn't know all that much about. And then, as soon as we entered this system, in you came. It froze time and I died."

"Ok, but I don't remember that happening…" He said.

"Because it was one of your earlier incarnations, I wouldn't expect you to remember anyways. It was a long time ago." Claire said. "By the way, you had a really cute look with scarves back then. Anyways, I didn't survive the collision and now I have you to thank. Glad Shifters have a longer life span than most species, or else we wouldn't be sitting here."

"So you're part Time Lord because of me?" He scoffed.

"It's not all bad. I'm starting to take better notice of all the stuff around me. Besides, I have no Time Lord features, other than the life and death expectancy going up and my IQ went up drastically." Claire laughed. "Anyways, after you repaired my bracelet, I got some of it back."

"So 50 years, huh?" The Doctor smiled. "Funny because you look as young for your age."

"Hardy har har." Claire laughed.

"So why does Catherine hate you?" He asked.

"Because she thinks I have something to do with those Hunters." Claire shook her head. "I told her that I was hunting down The Hunters and this happens."

The pair was quiet for a while. They silently mulled over what might happen next. Claire put the necklace back in her pocket and looked around aimlessly at the busy crowd around them. She put her hands over her mouth and looked at the ground.

"Hey, Doc?" Claire asked. "Can I ask you something?"

"It's The Doctor." He sighed.

"Deal with it!" She snickered.

"Anyways, what it is?" He asked. Claire continued to look at the ground then over to The Doctor's dark brown eyes.

"Do you trust me?" She asked.

"Of course?" He said; very confused. "Why?"

"Just curious is all." Claire shrugged.

The Doctor shrugged and went back to his little world. Claire looked around some more and yawned. They both jumped when they heard a scream in the distance. Claire grabbed The Doctor's hand as they ran off towards another deserted parking lot and flew into the skies.


	4. Chapter 4: Claire, the Bird of Prey

Doctor Who: Birds of Prey

Part 4: Claire, the Bird of Prey

"Come on!" Catherine hollered.

She grabbed Rose and pushed her towards a doorway. She managed to wrangle everyone else into the abandoned building and weld the door shut with her hand. She turned and saw Bryce and Cameron distracting The Hunter.

"Cameron! Bryce!" She called out. "Come on!"

Cameron and Bryce shifted from a pair of quick animals to their normal forms and started towards Catherine and the others. Cameron looked back and saw the black form moving closer to them. He grabbed Bryce's vest and shoved him towards the door.

"Get going!" He said. "I'll get him off our backs."

"Are you mad?" Bryce panted. "Cat's not going to like this one bit."

"Screw what she thinks. Until Claire and that Time Lord find us, this thing will keep chasing us and picking us off one by one." Cameron said. "Besides, I need a little exercise."

"Don't die, eh?" Bryce smiled.

"Don't plan on it but I'll keep the thought in mind." Cameron smirked. He looked back and gulped. He ran off from Bryce and the others and lured the monster away.

"All right, Doc, hang on tight." Claire panted. "Once I get my feet on that parking lot, we're off!"

"Isn't there a better way to travel?" He whined.

"I thought you liked being in the air." Claire laughed.

"When I know I'm in the TARDIS maybe." The Doctor retorted.

"Hang on, I got a plan." Claire said as her wings appeared. She flew towards a nearby rooftop and dropped him on the roof. She circled around and fluttered in place in front of him, her hand held out.

"Do you still trust me?" She asked.

"You're kidding me…" The Doctor sighed.

"You won't do it my way and I love flying." Claire shrugged. "Either grab my hand and we'll go from there or I go save the others without your genius mind." The Doctor looked at her for a moment and then around the rooftop.

"You'd really leave me here?" He asked.

"You're being the difficult one, I don't see why not." Claire grinned. After a few more minutes of The Doctor going back and forth about what he should do, Claire grabbed his hand and pulled his arms around her waist.

"Now this is the only thing I could come up with that won't get you mad and me frustrated." Claire said. "One second thought it does feel rather weird." She scratched her head and shrugged. "Oh well, let's go find Rose and the others. Just one thing…"

"Yes?" He groaned.

"Hold on tight and don't let go." Claire grinned and with a flap of her wings they were off.

The Doctor struggled a bit, mostly with the fact that Claire was holding him up in the air and there was nothing for his feet to touch, but Claire didn't think much of it. She was busy trying to find out where the others were when she saw a strange cheetah being chased by a large shadow being.

"Found them." Claire said as she dove for the cheetah.

"Who's that?" He asked.

"Thought you'd remember." Claire said. "It's Cameron and he found a friend."

"No near death tricks!" The Doctor said.

"You love to ruin the fun of everything, eh?" Claire groaned. "All right, when I get close, jump on his back."

"Whose? Yours, that Hunter, or Cameron's?" The Doctor grinned.

"Like I said, love ruining the fun of everything." Claire said. "Just pretend you're not going to hang in the air and possibly die."

"I said no near death stuff!" The Doctor frowned.

"And I said I'd save them." She retorted. She grabbed The Doctor's wrists and lowered herself towards Cameron.

"Oy!" Claire called out. Cameron looked up at her.

"What're you doing?!" He asked.

"Just thought I'd go for a little ride is all." The Doctor shrugged. "Maybe get a few breaths of fresh air and enjoy the scenery."

"Arse." Claire muttered. "Just catch him and keep running!"

"Easier said than done." Cameron muttered.

"One, two, three!" Claire said and let go of The Doctor and then rammed herself into The Hunter chasing them. Cameron closed his eyes and nearly stumbled over his feet as The Doctor crashed into him.

"You're heavier than you look." Cameron said.

"Are you saying this suit makes me look fat?" The Doctor asked, pretending to be offended.

"I think you've hung around women for too long, Doc." Cameron laughed.

"And you haven't?" The Doctor retorted. He looked around and then at Cameron. "Oh, when am I ever going to say this again? Run, Forrest, RUN!"

"I'm going to kill you for that!" Cameron barked as he stopped and quickly turned around and sprinted towards where the others were.

"What? No warning?" The Doctor sighed. "Children these days."

Both of them looked towards the sky and searched for Claire. They cringed as they watched her arm morph into something metallic, reminding Cameron of a cartoon show where a group of kids were fighting aliens all the time, and smacked The Hunter into a tree. She flew over their heads and made sure that The Hunter wouldn't come back.

"Anything less inconspicuous?" The Doctor asked.

"You kidding? That famous book by James Patterson is a terrific cover!" Claire laughed.

"The one about the bird kids?" Cameron asked.

"The Flock was always my favorite group of birds after all. And Total was adorable too!" Claire grinned.

They made their way to the others, where Cameron parted with them and eventually found them in another building not far off. The group looked at Claire and others with hopeful faces. Rose ran over and hugged The Doctor and everyone else greeted Cameron. Claire watched and looked over towards Catherine. She shrugged and waited for the moment to pass.

"Told you she was safe, Doc." Claire said, leaning against one of the walls of the room.

"Catherine said you'd be all right." Rose smiled.

"He's a Time Lord." Claire said. "Of course he'll be all right."

"I'm not immortal." He said.

"Damn near." Claire sighed. The rest of the group looked back at them.

"You should leave." Catherine warned Claire.

"Yeah, great to see you too, little sis." Claire retorted. "Enough of this little angry thing you have against me. We need to kill that thing, and if not that, well, imprison it somehow."

"Imprison it?" Rose asked. "Haven't you killed the others?"

"Yeah well, those things are like the Daleks; they'll survive and cause havoc another day but if they're imprisoned, they're harmless." Claire explained.

"So what do we do?" Bryce asked.

"We… we… hmm…" Claire muttered. "I always had to kill these things on my own, never with anyone else's help; seeing as how you guys were not supposed to even see me."

"I say we just grab whatever we have left and leave." Catherine said.

"And that'll solve everything!" Claire scoffed. "Running away will only get you so far."

"And you did that anyways." Catherine said. "Running away from Tartarus. You _iARE/i_ The Hunter! We should let you rot with that thing."

"Now hold on!" The Doctor said, getting in-between Claire and Catherine. "You know, I'd be more grateful about your sister. She may not have been here for you the last 50 years but she's been watching over you lot. Making sure that thing doesn't hurt you." The Doctor said to Catherine.

"Let it go, Doc." Claire said. "Let her believe what she wants."

"Enough with the infighting at least." Bryce said. "We have to figure it out now rather than later."

"Claire? Who's it after?" Brittany asked. Claire was silent and looked at the ground. The Doctor raised one of his eyebrows at her.

"Who is it after?" The Doctor repeated.

"One guess." Claire said. "It's been after all of them because of one thing."

"You're kidding me!" Catherine roared. "It's after me?"

"You know something it wants you to not know and the only way to rectify that…" Claire was silent again. "But I'm not letting that thing hurt her. Speaking of which, do we have a plan?

"Thought you always had a plan?" The Doctor teased.

"Sorry, was busy trying to survive." Claire shot back. "I like the idea of living." She's silent as she looks around and gets an idea. "And I think I can use the same trick again…"

Catherine and Brittany looked around the empty clearing in front of their little hide out. The Hunter's wings flared open and the pair ran back inside. The creature scrapped at the door and chased them.

"Are you sure this'll work?" Brittany asked.

"Only one way to find out, Brit." Catherine laughed.

They barreled into the wide parking space and stopped in the middle to catch their breath. They looked back and grit their teeth as the dark beast roared and closed in on them. Catherine tugged Brittany's sleeve and she nodded.

"NOW!" Brittany hollered and shifted into Catherine. The room around them brightened up and the others ran out into the middle of the clearing, looking like Catherine.

"So this is what it feels like to be a girl." Cameron whispered.

"Keep your voice down!" Bryce said, elbowing Cameron's arm.

The monster looked at them all in confusion. It wasn't quite sure who the real Catherine was. It roared once more and took out a sword from its back. The group shuddered and jumped back.

"That's cheating!" Claire laughed and appeared before the group of Catherines with a makeshift spear. "Now this is fair game, eh?"

The beast brandished its weapon and swung at her. Claire jumped out of the way and shifted into a bird with the others. They all flew off in several directions and confused the shadowy being. It lunged at the young shifters and kept missing. Claire flew towards a dark corner and changed back into her human self again.

"Ready, Doc?" Claire grinned.

"Quit calling me that." He said. "And whenever you are."

"All right Rose, on the count of three." Claire said.

The girls counted to three and Rose ran out of their hiding spot. The beast looked over at her and growled. The Shifters fluttered off and left Rose on her own. Claire gripped the spear in her hand and waited for the monster to charge.

"Come on!" Rose said, feeling slightly unsure. "I'll fight you off!"

"Not too bright is she?" Claire sighed.

"She means well." The Doctor said.

"As a pet I'm sure." Claire muttered.

As The Hunter dashed at Rose, Claire jumped out and defended her against its attack. She struggled to push it back and eventually gathered some strength to send it back a few steps. She used the same metallic arm to knock it out and used it to push it back.

"Why'd you need me if you could've just came out here yourself?" Rose asked.

"Because I believe in using everything you have." Claire said. "Now go get ready for whatever comes next."

Rose ran off towards The Doctor as Claire waited for The Hunter's retaliation. She dodged its first strike and let it run into the wall behind her. She sped towards the center of the parking lot. The Hunter chased after her and kept trying to hurt her; and Claire kept dodging and letting it run into the columns.

"Now Doctor!" Claire hollered.

The Doctor jumped out of his hiding spot and threw an odd jewel at her. She attached the jewel to her spear and smacked The Hunter with it. It howled in pain and screamed as it was slowly absorbed into the emerald.

The group successfully stopped The Hunter and followed Rose and The Doctor towards a familiar part of London. Catherine and the others wondered where Claire had wondered off to but figured she was off onto her next mission to save the world or something.

"I can't believe we got rid of that thing." Brittany smiled.

"Lucky we had your sister with us, eh?" Bryce cheered.

"Speaking of which, where is she?" Cameron asked.

"She should be nearby, somewhere." The Doctor said. "So now that you don't have a monster trying to kill you, or a home to go back to, what are you going to do now?"

"You're wrong, Doctor." Catherine said. "We have a home and it's here."

"Where are you going to live?" Rose asked.

"Dunno." Catherine shrugged.

"It's a work in progress." Cameron laughed.

"I think I have an idea." Rose smiled and led them towards her flat where a pair of people came out to greet them.

In the shadows of the parking lot near where Rose and the others were, and next to the TARDIS, Claire watched in silence as everyone was having a great time above. She sighed as Catherine and the others got all excited about something.

"One less thing to worry about." She said as she started to walk away.

"And where are you going?" The Doctor asked.

"House hunting." Claire said.

"We know that's not true." He said.

"We do?" Claire smiled, looking at the quirky man's frown. "They don't need me anymore, Doctor. I lived up to my promise and that was that."

"So you have nowhere to go?" The Doctor asked. Claire turns to look at him.

"What are you gettin' at?" She smiled, half knowing what he was about to say.

"Well, maybe you'd like to come with me and Rose? Venture the universe and find a place for them?" The Doctor offered.

"There's a saying here that I've heard hundreds of times," Claire started, "two's company but three's a crowd? Besides they have a home like Cat said."

"Then come with me." Claire stares at the Doctor, unsure if he's serious or not. She looked up at the Shifters and Rose then back at The Doctor and then at the ground.


End file.
